Lone Colac ambulance risks patients' lives: union

LIVES in Colac and district will be put at risk if only one ambulance is left to respond to emergencies overnight, health unions warn.

The Ambulance Employees Association (AEA) and the Australian Nurses Federation (ANF) have both warned that the decision to leave all emergencies in Colac to a single ambulance crew each night could result in patients dying while waiting for paramedics. Plans by Colac Area Health (CAH) to close its urgent care unit overnight will mean all emergency cases will be transferred to Geelong — leaving Colac without an ambulance for up to three hours.

The public will get updates next Tuesday from CAH, Ambulance Victoria and Victoria Police at an information session at the Colac Otway Performing Arts and Cultural Centre at 7pm.

But the Victorian head of the AEA, which represents the paramedics, told The Standard ambulance crews in Colac feared critical delays.